Swap This for That: Dry Shampoo

Today’s post is about safer dry shampoo options and why we should be concerned about conventional products.

I’m kicking off a new series today! The theme of the series is “swap this for that.” It is meant to help break down healthy lifestyle swaps into easy, one-at-a-time, approachable steps. I have spent the last 5+ years learning about safer beauty options, safer personal care products, and less-hazardous home care products. I have learned a LOT in the process and am eager to share! We’re going to explore some dangers of specific ingredients (to help answer the “why should I be concerned” questions), talk about when homemade options are best (with detailed how-to’s), and finally explore which safer products available for purchase are my personal favorites. I have spent years learning the long, hard way so that I can offer you short, easy cuts to these healthy swaps! I hope you enjoy!

Let’s get to today’s topic…

Swap This for That: Dry Shampoo

I LOVE dry shampoo. It does wonders for adding volume and texture to my hair while also extending the life of a style. A little dry shampoo around my temples and crown of my head provides instant volume and staves off any weighed-down greasy look.

When I took on (what felt like a) massive task of “cleaning up” my personal care products (as in, finding non-toxic alternatives), dry shampoo was admittedly one of the last I tackled. I didn’t want to give up the styling power of my favorite dry shampoo! After kissing a few frogs, I finally found a safer dry shampoo option that I really love. More on that below after we cover some “why should I be concerned?” skincare science!

Note: it is important to wash your hair a couple times a week to allow the roots to breath as you scrub off any product buildup.

WHY should I be concerned about dry shampoo?

Conventional dry shampoo (as in, the kind you can find at your neighborhood pharmacy or grocery store), is typically found in an aerosol can. This aerosol is likely made possible by a form of butane gas. Most conventional dry shampoos ingredient lists also call for some kind of proprietary “fragrance” or “perfume.” This is where things get really dicey, because we have no way of knowing what ingredients are hiding under that cloak. It could be benign or it could be harmful.

Though there are a variety of potentially toxic ingredients found in specific dry shampoos, these two are the most prevalent across the board.

Let’s break down these two common dry shampoo ingredients:

Butane & Isobutane: the most-used propellant gas in dry shampoo that can be highly irritating to the skin, especially with repeated use.

Fragrance/Parfum: an umbrella for a variety of proprietary ingredients that could lead to allergies, skin irritation, organ toxicity, and potential harmful impacts on developmental and reproductive health.

The hyperlinked ingredient names above will take you to the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) “Skin Deep” database. This is a not-for-profit organization that, as an independent third party, tests specific products and ingredients for health and human safety.

The Safer Option: Primally Pure’s Texturizing Dry Shampoo

I am honestly over-the-moon THRILLED with Primally Pure’s safer dry shampoo! Instead of an aerosol, this dry shampoo comes in a shaker bottle and is really easy to apply. With an option for both dark and light-colored hair, the dry shampoo blends in well! I personally like to apply a few shakes to a fresh hairdo (just after styling) as a way to add texture and extend the life of my blowout. Though not overly-fragrant, the subtle peppermint makes it really refreshing on the scalp. Just shake a bit onto your scalp, rub it into the hair, and you’re good to go!

The ingredients are clean and best of all, it WORKS!

Snag a bottle of the Texturizing Dry Shampoo for Dark Locks by clicking HERE.

Snag a bottle of the Texturizing Dry Shampoo for Light Locks by clicking HERE.

10 Responses to “Swap This for That: Dry Shampoo”

I am trying to share all this type of information with my friends and family!!! Being able to share your blog posts with them is so incredibly helpful! I to have been working on exchanging out my regular products for less toxic items we find at the local drug store! Thank you for using your platform and sharing what you have found!!! I’ll be putting the dry shampoo on my next order from Primally Pure!!

I’ve switched to primally pure dry shampoo recently as well and love it. Why I wanted a better change was that I read an article in my local newspaper where a local girl talked about what happened to her after prolonged use of a dry shampoo spray. She actually lost the majority of her hair. I’m sure this is an extreme case, and we don’t know what her hygiene in general was like (ie – maybe she used this several times a day, and didn’t wash her hair for several weeks, etc). However, I can’t imagine that spraying a cold, pressurized gas on your hair follicle would do it any good.

This looks like a great product! I’m interested in trying it but before I do I have a couple of questions….
– What do you use as a regular shampoo or do you just dry shampoo?
– Do you offer a promo code to your readers?
Thanks for any help! 🙂

I just discovered Primally Pure two weeks ago, and now I’m obsessed!!! I ordered a small container of their dry shampoo, and immediately placed an order for the large size after trying it out! I love how refreshing it is with the peppermint oil.

I’m going to try this!! I felt like I was the only one who hated how my scalp felt after using certain kinds of dry shampoo, and I haven’t been able to try one that is good for my skin yet. Hopefully this is the one! I have very sensitive skin so thank you for sharing this.

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Howdy and thank you so much for being here! My name is Cassy Joy Garcia. I'm on a mission to empower healthy lifestyle transformations through clear nutrition science and delicious Paleo-friendly foods. You can find over 200 of my healthy gluten-free and Paleo recipes on this website, my healthy living podcast "Fed+Fit" in iTunes, and my nutrition+fitness challenge info waiting list on the main menu bar! Sign up for the newsletter to stay in the loop.

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